323 



■•More than three-fourths of what is called croton oil imported is 

 either adulterated, or an oil of inferior quality, made from an en- 

 tirely different seed from that which furnishes the genuine article. 



"'Much of the rectified medicinal naphtha imported is a crude pre- 

 paration, and very impure. This, as well as many other medicinal 

 preparations, such, for instance, as iodine, hydriodate of potass, 

 magnesia, epsom salts, &c, are made in considerable quantities, 

 without the requisite care, in the large foreign chemical establish- 

 ments, where their regular business is to manufacture only the 

 coarser chemical preparations, used almost exclusively in the arts. 

 Of course, these articles, being hastily and imperfectly prepared out 

 of the "odds and ends," and as rudely put up for market, can be 

 afforded at a much less price than the pure article. It is now com- 

 mon for the foreign manufacturer to send out to this country these 

 articles, on consignment, with his other preparations, used in the arts. 

 It may not be amiss for me here to say, for the benefit of the me- 

 dical profession and dealers generally throughout the country, as 

 well as for the army and navy surgeons, who purchase chemical and 

 medicinal preparations for the public service, that too much reliance, 

 in their selections, must not be placed upon what purports to be the 

 name or label of some noted and foreign popular manufacturers, 

 which they may find attached to the bottle or package. For it must 

 be borne in mind that, while many of the adulterated, fine chemicals, 

 &c, come to us neatly put up in small quantities, for the retail 

 trade, bearing a fictitious label, much of the very crudely and im- 

 perfectly manufactured chemicals I have named, together with con- 

 siderable quantities of morphine, is imported in bulk; or, in other 

 words, in bottles or cases, containing several pounds each, and bear- 

 ing only the name of the article; giving us no clue to the real ma- 

 nufacturers beyond what may be gathered from the name or names 

 of the exporters upon the invoice; and they are not unfrequently 

 foreign commission merchants. Notwithstanding this, these crude 

 and impure articles in bulk find, I regret to say, ready purchasers 

 among unprincipled dealers, who have them put up in small quanti- 

 ties (similar to the genuine), in foreign bottles, imported expressly 

 for the purpose; to which is, afterwards, attached a neatly executed 

 imitation label of some well known foreign manufacturing chemist. 

 The articles are then ready for market, and are purchased by the 

 unsuspecting (for circulation throughout the country), I fear, too 

 often, on account of the label, and general external appearance of 

 the bottle, without proper attention to the contents. Hence the 



